Picture This
by typeislife
Summary: Moving to new place was all Beca ever wanted to do. New York life was never for her and after heartbreak and loss, she sees nothing good left in the place she used to call home. New places mean new people, and one person in particular truly catches Beca's eye. Can one person break old habits and leave someone better for it, or will even more hearts be broken?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: To Georgia

I've tried the whole New York thing that so many people dream about. I've lived in New York my whole life matter of fact and I'm done with everything in it. The people are arrogant and self-centered beyond what I would see as a normal amount. The weather is about as unbearable as Monday mornings before the time of 1 pm, and nothing in New York interest me. I might live a life fully devoted to anything artsy that I can grasp onto, but New York is nowhere close to where I want to be. In fact, it's a whole country from where I want to be.

I looked over my checklist to make sure I was packing everything I needed. I hardly had enough to fill two suitcases, but I wanted to make sure that none of my few possessions were left behind. Georgia is a long way away from New York and I have no intention of coming back here in my life time so the need to gather my things was only further increased.

I decided to verbally read over my list one more time just to be sure.

Clothing. "Check".  
Boots. "Check".  
Laptop. "Check".  
Camera. "Shit."

I cursed loudly as I looked over my suitcases and carry-on bag seeing that both seemed to be missing the very important piece of technology that was essential to my happiness. I looked over my now barren room and was almost taken into a stream of nostalgia as I saw the blank walls void of posters and photos I had taken throughout the years. The built in shelves that used to hold records and various books were now empty and seemed to beg to be full again. That wasn't a wish I could grant though.

As I pulled myself together again I exited my room and picked up my pace as I went down the stairs; a loud banging emanating from each step as I hopped from one to the next.

When I made it to the bottom of the stairs, I went into the living room hoping to find the last thing on my checklist, but instead I found Sandra. She was sitting on the couch looking at what I could only assume were photo albums. I could hear a few memory filled sobs, but I decided to ignore her and continue my hunt for my camera. Sadly my efforts failed as Sandra turned around and saw that I was trying to creep over to where I had spotted my camera on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, Beca. I'm so glad you're here. I'm going to miss having you around here. This house may be small but it sure will feel empty without you in it." I tried to return the heartfelt smile that Sandra was giving me, but my mind only wanted my camera so I could leave. I knew I couldn't just leave without a word though, so I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Thanks Sandra. Sorry to make you…uh…lonely." Nice one Beca. That was super nice to say to the woman who has actually given a shit about you for the past three years. Sandra was one of my mom's closest friends. They had met when my mom was in London studying abroad. Sandra took me in just as foster care tried to sweep me into their merciless grip, and for that, I had a lot of gratitude towards her.

To my surprise, Sandra seemed to be fully accepting of my not-so-witty response and I was glad to see that she understood me enough to know I wasn't great at expressing my feelings. When she turned back to look at the photo album I quickly grabbed my camera and ran back up the stairs before I could get caught in awkward chit-chat again.

Once I had placed my camera into my carry-on, I finally felt confident that I had everything I needed to leave this awful place and with my plane ticket in hand, carry-on bag swung over my shoulder, and two suitcases ready to roll, I walked out of the place I had used as my safe haven for so long in search of something that would hopefully be so much better.

I wasn't any good at goodbyes, so I decided to make it quick and simple hoping that Sandra would understand. As I placed my things at the door, I walked back into the living room to see that Sandra had put the photo album away and was now sitting on a bar stool waiting for me to come over. I complied with her silent demand and walked from the carpeted living room onto the tile of the kitchen.

"So this is it, huh? You really aren't going to stick around?" I could see the pain in Sandra's eyes, but I could also see that she was happy to see me doing something that I had wanted for so long. Sandra was always good like that.

"Looks like it." I said trying to speed up the already too lengthy conversation. I wasn't much of a talker, so skipping interactions like this was something that I always did.

"Any way I'll be getting that hug I've always wanted?" I laughed a bit at her statement noticing her obvious attempt to cut through the stiff air. The irony of her statement made me laugh a bit harder, but I contained myself and said the thing that felt most natural between the two of us. "Not a chance."

Getting through airport security was faster than I had originally thought it would be and I was happy when I realized I still had another hour before my plane started boarding. I sat in one of the aisles of airport lobby chairs a few feet away from some guy in a business suit who was knocked out with his head drooping over slightly. I chuckled at him as I fished my phone from my bag and set an alarm for 40 minutes and then went into my various playlists of music.

I settled upon a track-list that I had made a few months ago right before I graduated from high school. It was a mixture of a bunch of "farewell-like" songs that seemed fitting for my current scenario. As I placed my headphones over my ears, I managed to lean my head back and slowly drift off to the sounds of two mashed-up songs from some 90's bands I always enjoyed.

Just as I felt myself fall into a deeper sense of sleep, a loud beeping went off in my ears where soft melodies had just been playing and I was jerked awake to see that the plane was starting to be boarded.

I packed away my things and then waited for my ticket group to be called before standing up and walking through the narrow space-like tube that led into the plane that was taking me away to the wonderful state of Georgia.

Yep. I just said that wonderful state of Georgia. I'm already losing my mind and I haven't even gotten to this place yet. This might end up a lot worse than I thought it would.

Once I was on the plane I managed to find my seat and get comfortable for the fairly short plane ride ahead. I hadn't ever been on a plane before and my nerves were a little jumbled, but once my headphones blocked out the sounds, I found that a plane was a lot like a flying car, and that it wasn't that big of a deal.

I didn't want to fall asleep on the flight if I could help it, so I found my playlist with some really upbeat mash-ups to keep my heartbeat pumping fast enough to keep me awake. I was lucky enough to get a window seat and an empty row which I was very thankful for. I'm not much of a "tight-places-with-other-people" person. The emptiness of my surroundings also allowed for me to place my bag beside me so I could stretch out a bit. Needless to say, I was in store for what most would consider a pretty nice flight.

I could feel as the plane jerked off into the air and as the skyline in the distance became smaller and smaller, the giddy smile on my face grew larger. Seeing the place that you'd lived in your whole life float away behind you; seeing the people that walked beside you on busy streets and stood with you in crowded subway stations turn into small ant-like beings, was almost relieving for me. The weight of that city lifted off of me and I felt free. I felt free of my past and the things that had held me captive for so long and as clouds covered my view, I placed weary fingers to my lips, and as a last effort to thank the city that, even if I would have chosen differently, raised me as I was. I placed a slightly sentimental token of goodbye on the window that sat beside me before shutting it tight and turning my full attention onto the laptop that I had begun taking out of my bag.

I saw the seatbelt light turn on and could hear a slight mumble of someone saying something about preparing for arrival over the intercom. I hadn't realized just how far we had gone. Time had a way of drifting past me quicker than I could catch it, and I wasn't good with looking at a clock constantly.

Not wanting to be caught unprepared, I placed my laptop back into my bag and put my headphones with it as I buckled my seat belt and waited for the familiar ear-popping I had felt when we ascended.

When plane wheels hit runway pavement I could hear as the couple beside me complained of a crappy pilot and how he shouldn't be flying a plane if he can't land it gracefully. Seeing as I had nothing to compare his flying to, I dismissed the bumpy landing as a fault of the runway and not the pilot himself.

I watched as people hurriedly gathered their things and rushed off the plane, but I stayed calmly in my seat waiting for the masses to stop their crowded ambush of whatever plane lobby they were dispersing into. Once the majority had left, I threw the strap of my bag over my shoulder and walked off the plane as if I had no clue that the flight-attendants and been glaring at me to leave for the past 10 minutes. I just smiled at them and said some quick declarations of thanks for their service before once again walking through the space tube and entering the lobby.

I took in a deep breath as if the air in the lobby was fresh and didn't smell like a multitude of fast food establishments and sweaty travels trying to catch their flights. I couldn't help but laugh at a couple with a small child who were in such a rush that they almost left the three-or-so year old at the entrance to the bathrooms as they unknowingly went in at the same time leaving the child unattended.

Somehow I had managed to navigate through the terminals and lobbies to find the luggage claim and I grabbed my two suitcases before going to where I was meant to meet Sandra's son Luke. He had moved down here a while back to escape the hustle of New York and retreat to the similar county-side life he had grown accustomed to with his father in England. Sandra and her husband had split up when Luke was a teenager and he chose to live primarily with his dad outside of the major cities before moving with his mom to America. Now he lived in some city that I couldn't even remember the name of and I would be staying with him.

As I walked outside of the airport doors on the level Luke told me to meet him at, I saw a massive amount of taxis and men in suits that were holding pieces of paper with different names on them. As I scanned the names that each man held, I saw one that was in all capitals "BECKY MITCHELL". I grimaced at the miswriting of my name as I looked over the guy holding the paper. He was a blonde, but the sides of his head were shaved a bit more closely as if to draw your eyes to the slightly longer cluster of hair that sat on top of his head. I could tell that he had a little shadowing of a beard as well. He also had the typical bulkiness of a guy who works out far too much and tattoos as if to prove how oppressively masculine he was. Alright, so maybe that observation is less of an observation and more of a judgment, but Sandra always complained that he was just like his dad and obviously that didn't work. What more was there for me to really go off of, right?

"You spelled my name wrong." I deadpanned as I walked over to the tight t-shirt clad man. It didn't even seem to faze him as he continued to smile before finally deciding to speak. "Sorry about that. My mum's connection was a bit crackly when she called me to give me your information and set this all up." The accent in his voice was even stronger than Sandra's and I couldn't help but feel a bit more comforted by the accent I had grown accustomed to from Sandra.

"It's not that big of a deal. Just understand that my name is Beca, and we won't have a problem." I wasn't in the mood to play nice with this guy seeing as the plane ride had already managed to tire me out and I didn't feel like making friends at this point.

"Wow. My mum wasn't kidding when she said you had no sense of humor." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but the fact that he had the balls to say that resonated as some type of courage in my eyes, so I decided to at least give the guy a chance before completely shutting him out.

"Yeah, well I prefer sarcasm over comedy, and can we please leave now." I said this time walking around him and glancing at the street that was still boarding and unloading passengers from taxis. "Oh, right. My car's in the parking lot a little ways away. Are you in the mood for a walk?" He said as he picked up my suitcases without any signs of struggle. "Not even slightly." I grumbled at him as he nodded and started walking the way I assumed his car was.

To say that I hadn't prepared myself for the Georgia sun was an understatement. My black jeans and boots only contributed to my overheating as my long sleeved flannel made it feel like a second skin was being burned onto my body. The glare of the sun that came off the endless sea of cars that we were passing didn't help either.

"How much…longer…until," I had to take a break from speaking as I caught my breath and continued trekking. "…we reach your car?" I finished off as I took in a few more deep breathes as my feet begged for relief.

"Actually, we're here." I could have sworn that my ears were lying to me when I heard those words, but as Luke stopped in front of a small pickup truck and opened the flat bed to place my bags on I allowed a smile to erupt onto my face as I ran over to the passenger side door. With my hand clasping the handle it opened with a creaky tug and I hopped onto the outdated leather upholstery not even concerned with the fact that it felt like it was the same temperature as a cooking pan.

Luke got in the truck shortly afterwards and manually rolled down his window with a spinning lever before suggesting I do the same. After that he started the car with a sputtering noise and allowed my ears to be blessed with the sounds of rock n' roll icons that he seemed to enjoy as much as I did. We both started singing along before giving each other a surprised look seeing that the other knew the lyrics and with that we drove.

We quickly left the airport grounds and I found myself passing fields on a two lane road before I knew it. Just looking at the area around me I felt the urge to whip out my camera and take pictures. Something in me always told me what would be a good picture or not, and I rarely didn't embrace such feelings, but seeing as I wasn't driving and I didn't really want to waste time standing up I kept quiet and took mental images as the fields passed and the sun continued to fall.

As I finally took a look at the clock, I saw that is was almost 6 pm. That meant that we had been driving for a good hour which surprised me because I typically got very bored during car rides. This one seemed to be different though. Taking in the area around me must have kept me busy.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" I heard a soft, accented voice say as I turned my head to face it. He was still looking forward at the road, but I could see a slight smile on his face. "Yeah, it has a real photographic quality to it." I said quickly before turning my head back towards the open window and taking another breath in with the air of the surrounding land filling me up to the brim. There was no more conversation between the two of us after that until we got to his place.

"So this is it; my humble abode." He said in a cheesy voice before hopping out of the truck and getting my bags from the back. I followed his actions grabbing my carry-on bag before watching as he rushed over to the front door of his one story home. It looked a bit run down, but it had character. Masonry stood tall as the main façade of his home and a red front door greeted you with its surprising bright color considering the dulling colors that surrounded it.

"You'll be staying in the attic, but I finished it off so you aren't looking at wall studs. Now you have unpainted plaster. You're welcome." He chuckled at his own joke as I chose to ignore him and follow as he walked into the house and through a small living room and connected dining room before turning off to face an eerie stairway that led to only a door.

I gave him a 'really' look before walking up in front him and opening the door at the top to find a heavily lighted area due to a window that must have sat at the back of the house facing a large forested area and small yard.

The room itself contained a queen-sized bed already made sitting underneath the window and two nightstands on either side that held both a lamp and digital alarm clock. A dresser was at the foot of the bed and it had paint chips peeling from it. On the adjacent side of the room sat a couch that looked to be resting on cinderblocks with two small bookshelves on either side. On the side of the room opposite the entrance was a long desk with a few drawers accompanied by a beaten up office chair along with another shelving unit.

As I went to place my bag on the desk, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but I ignored them as I started to unpack and set up my desk area. "It's pretty nice isn't it? I even spent a bit extra on putting some hardwood in." Luke's voice rang through my ears as I continued to focus on the individual placement of my things.

"It's fine." I said in response not wanting to continue the conversation much. To my displeasure, Luke decided to continue speaking. "Well, the bathroom is down the stairs and through the dining room and living room at the end of the hall. I shower in the mornings so I suggest that you shower at night to avoid any awkward encounters. The kitchen is hardly ever stocked so if you want food you should probably go buy that and if you need anything you should try to figure it out yourself first." His voice died off and I could tell that he was waiting for some type of acknowledgement that I understood, but as I refused to give him any I heard a sigh and more banging as he went down the stairs.

Once I had finished setting up my things on my desk I started unpacking all together and found that the room slowly felt more and more my own. With each piece of clothing I put away, and each poster I taped up, I felt more at home. Once everything was squared away, I took the time to lie on my bed and test it out. I could feel an indention of where someone must have slept in at one point, but ignored it as I stayed in the middle of the bed, sprawling every one of my limbs to its maximum length.

Before I knew it, I had shut my eyes after staring at the white colored ceiling and allowed my body to drift off with my mind as I took slow breaths in. I needed the relaxation after a day of traveling. I could have easily spent my time looking for some type of transportation to get seeing as I had nothing for the time being, or looking for a job, but for this first night, I had no plans and no intention of doing anything. So I slept.

I woke up to a banging on my door that must have been from Luke. I opened my eyes and glanced at my alarm clock seeing that it had the time of 9:23 pm plastered on its digital face. I rubbed my eyes with the back of one hand as I sat up and stretched, finally acknowledging that the banging had yet to cease.

"Beca! Beca can I come in?" Luke's voice rang through the walls of my room and I made a slight grunt of agreement signaling that Luke could enter. He apparently understood what I meant and entered immediately after.

"Jesus Beca, what were you doing? I've been knocking for over 5 minutes." He said in an annoyed tone but I just shrugged and motioned to the bed. He rolled his eyes in understanding before he continued speaking.

"We're going to a party so get dressed in something that doesn't make you look like someone who just came from a harsh winter in New York." It was just then that I noticed that Luke had changed out of the white t-shirt and shorts he had been wearing earlier and was now in jeans with a leather jacket covering a colorful top accessorized with a beanie. "I don't want to go to a party." I said angrily throwing my upper half back onto my bed and mumbling under my breath.

"You don't have a choice. My mum said that I was supposed to make sure you didn't sit in this room all day and that you actually met some people. So that's what I'm doing. Now it's your job to get your arse up and get dressed. Meet you downstairs in 10 minutes or I'm coming back up here a putting moldy butter on your face." I was confused with his threat, but nonetheless motivated by it. I'm not really a fan of having moldy butter smeared on my face.

I sat up again and glared at Luke as he turned around and walked down the stairs shutting the door behind him before I got up and started rummaging through my clothes to find something that a "party-goer" might wear. I decided upon a black tank top with that had a sequined top half around the chest along with some dark blue jeans and black, laced boots. With a spiked bracelet wrapped around my wrist and reapplied makeup, I walked down the stairs hoping that Luke wouldn't have the audacity to send me back up to change.

As I made it to the bottom of the stairs, I could hear a loud conversation going on somewhere in the house. As I walked past the dining room and living room, I found Luke and two other guys standing at the entrance to the hallway that had been previously mentioned. One of the guys had short brown hair and wore a blue flannel shirt with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows with khaki pants. The other guy had curly brown hair and a long-sleeved sweater that was white on the top half and black on the bottom along with blue jeans. They seemed nice enough, but I still wasn't looking forward to the inevitable introductions.

"Hey, who knew you could actually look like something other than a boring New Yorker?" Luke said with a laugh while the curly haired guy joined in and the short haired one just stared at me awkwardly. "This is Jesse and Benji by the way." Luke introduced first pointing to the short haired guy and then the curly haired one.

"It's nice to meet you Beca." Jesse was the first to speak up and he stuck out his hand in the way most do to ask for a handshake. I just stared at his hand as Luke pulled on Jesse by his shoulder and whispered something in his ear before Jesse retracted his hand quickly. It hadn't occurred to me that Sandra had informed Luke of the no-touching situation I had, but it made sense as he let go of Jesse and gave me a quick side smile and a nod.

After Benji had introduced himself skipping the handshake part, Luke spoke up again. "I almost forgot to give you the house key Beca. I just want to be safe in case you need to get in here tomorrow morning if you go home with some guy." Luke gave a quick wink in my direction pushing the key at me. I couldn't contain my laughter at his proposal seeing as it not only implied that I would be speaking to much of anyone at this party but also implied that I wanted anything to do with any guy.

"Yeah, well that might be a little hard considering that I prefer to not have anything to do with guys in that department." I said through chuckles. When I looked back at the three boys, Luke had a surprised smirk on his face, while Benji held a smile and Jesse looked like a dear in headlights. It only then hit me that Jesse might have had a quick thing for me given the staring and immediate handshake.

"Well with that news, I guess we better get to the party." He pushed the key into my direction once again and I took it placing it in my back pocket before Luke walked towards the front door leading everyone towards the pick-up truck and small car parked behind it on the driveway. Jesse and Benji walked to the car with Benji giving his friend a quick pat on the pack now understanding his friend's disappointment at my news and Luke and I got into the truck.

On the drive to wherever the party was being held, I found out that Luke had met Jesse at work when he became an intern. Later when the two guys started hanging out, Benji was brought into the mix and for the past few years they had been really close friends.

The small houses similar to Luke's own house disappeared and we drove into a neighborhood that had mansion after mansion in it. All the houses had large stone walls surrounding them and, from what I could tell, circular driveways begging to be filled by party guest.

"Luke, where exactly are we going?" I said nervously as I turned to his direction. "We're going to a party at Chloe Beale's place. Her parents are loaded so she lives in this neighborhood." He said as if answering a question I had yet to ask. I hadn't even realized that Georgia had houses like these. I guess I was misled.

The drive continued silently, but as we turned into the driveway of a home that could dwarf some of the others in the neighborhood, I started to feel like maybe I should've braved the moldy butter. This was definitely not the kind of place I was accustomed to; much less welcomed at.

When Luke parked the car behind a few others and got out followed by Jesse and Benji's approaching car, I couldn't get myself to exit the vehicle. I was watching Luke in the rearview mirror as he spoke with Jesse and Benji hoping that he wouldn't notice my absence, but to my dismay he looked around quickly before walking up to my door. Impulsively I locked the door without thinking about the fact that the window was completely down. Right before I was able to roll it up again, a firm hand was placed in the way stopping me from turning the crank due to the difference in shear strength.

"Beca, I said you're going to this party. Now, I haven't been in New York for a while, but I'm pretty sure that still means you have to get out of the car and go to the party." He said emphasizing the 'go' part. I looked at him wearily, but conceded and unlocked the door before getting out of the car with a grimace on my face. "There you go Becky!" Luke yelled before running off to catch up with Jesse and Benji who had already entered the party.

I glared at his back hoping he could feel my stare, but when he ran out of my view, I gave up and contemplated getting back in the car, but before I could a group of kids came running up behind me and not wanting to be wrapped up into their herd, I walked towards the front door of the party before stepping into the music filled threshold.

Now there is something I should probably explain about my little phobia. Seeing as I lived in New York, there was really no way to avoid people brushing up against you. Between subway stations and the very streets you were forced to walk on due to traffic always being at a standstill, I had to become accustomed to the idea that I wouldn't be able to avoid all forms of contact. The things I really am cautious of are anything involving hands, such as handshake and purposefully touching, and things involving full body contact, like hugs, dancing, and other…"special" activities.

It surprised me to see just how crowed the party was seeing that the driveway hadn't been too full, but assuming that kids rode together filled in the gaps. I could see red cups placed out onto a table and prayed that whatever was in them was substantially alcoholic to mask my eagerness to leave this party all together.

As I made my way to the table, I saw that a fair number of cups had already been taken and I figured that meant that in a few hours most people will have crashed into a alcohol induced sleep, or left before they got anymore drunk giving me a happy feeling that the party wouldn't go on for too long. The cup I had chosen to take was filled almost to the brim of a frothy brown liquid and in tasting the stuff, there was no doubt in my mind that it was cheap beer from some supermarket and I couldn't have been happier at the familiar taste.

With my cup in hand, I walked through the house careful to keep my other hand tucked closely to my side in order to avoid any unnecessary touching that could occur if I'm not careful. I walked past people with similar cups in their own hands who were dancing on each other. I could only hope that they continued to be occupied with their partners and not even notice me.

Finally I had made it past the mass of people into the backyard that allowed for a little more separation due to the open space. I could see that a lit up pool was filled with bubbly water and inflated dolphins along with a few drunken guys and girls splashing each other fully clothed, might I add, in the water.

Somewhere in my attempt for personal space I had made it to a patio that looked over the party due to the few steps it took to reach it that gave it a bit of height. It had a stoned fire pit on it and a built in bench that went around the rim of the stone wall that formed around the pit. I sat down on the bench and continued to sip at my drink as I observed the rest of the horribly intoxicated party people.

Just when I thought that I might make it through the entire party without any type of interaction, a spirited girl ran up the steps dropping her body uncomfortably close to me. She held a cup in her hand and it sloshed over slightly when she sat, but she quickly recovered and took a sip of the drink.

I had been too consumed with the girl's arrival tactics that I had yet to notice her appearance. Once I had though, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her hair was a bright ginger color and the curls that were placed in it danced elegantly on her shoulders whenever she moved. Her skin was pale but equally flawless, yet the thing that really caught me was her eyes. They held the crystal blue commonly found in diamonds and I was star struck looking at her. How can something so perfect be sitting right in front of me.

"So, I've never seen you before, and I've kinda seen everyone before." She said in the cutest drunken voice that I'd ever heard. She wasn't particularly asking me a question, but I decided to clear her confusion anyway. "Beca; my name is Beca." I wanted to slap myself after that because I practically screamed my name at her receiving a soft laugh from her before she continued speaking.

"Well Beca," she sounded out my name verbally, "welcome to the party." She concluded as she took a long swig from her drink. I wasn't at all sure how to respond, so I just stayed silent and stared at her. No, it wasn't staring, it was observing without blinking. That totally makes it better.

"Thanks." That's the only thing that comes to your mind? Is this really all you got Beca? Get it together in front of the cute girl. At this point I was already screaming at myself in my head. I just wanted my internal awkwardness to cease so I could talk to this girl like a normal human would.

The girl had started to open her mouth again, but the sight of someone walking up the steps silenced her. The blonde girl who was walking up the steps of the patio had an angry expression on her face as she walked towards the ginger giving me a glare after looking me once-over. I couldn't help but return the glare.

"Bestie Bree is here to take me away." The ginger leaned over towards me in an attempt to whisper, but it really came out as a hushed scream that rattled my eardrums painfully. The ginger leaned back and giggled about who knows what, but I found it adorable nonetheless. Before I could respond, the blonde's hand reached out for the gingers and the ginger happily complied as the blonde pulled her up to stand. By that action I could tell that the blonde was also drunk as she wobbled slightly when the ginger put a little too much weight on her.

"You're damned right I'm here to take you away. Tom and I have been looking everywhere for you." The blonde told this to the ginger, but she just laughed at her blonde friend saying something about playing a game of hide n' seek with them which made me laugh.

"Come on. For a host of a party, you're not too great at it." The blonde said to the ginger as she started to pull her away. I could hear the ginger yelling about meeting new people in her defense, but as she merged with the crowd I couldn't hear anything from her anymore. She popped up at the other side of the yard with the same blonde girl into a group of what I presumed to be her friends. My line of sight was interrupted by none other than Jesse even though I continued to try and look around him.

"Sup Becaw?" He started laughing at his own joke, but I couldn't find any humor in purposely messing up my name. I just wanted him to move so I could continue watching the ginger headed beauty that had previously caught my attention. "I can't believe that you're gay." That was the only thing I heard before Jesse sat down beside me. At his comment, I couldn't help but look at him with a 'really' look. Who says something like that? With a few seconds more of thought, I realized that alcohol must have something to do with his bluntness.

"Well believe it." I stated in the same blunt way he had and he seemed to accept the answer, but continued to press for information. "Why though? You could easily be bisexual and get anyone you want." I could only attribute this statement to the mixture of his 5 minute crush on me and alcohol, but I decided to give him the best response I could think of.

"The only experience I've had with hetero relationships would be a turn off for anyone. I have no interest in being intimate with any guy. Ever." I said in a serious tone before turning back to rest my eyes on the ginger. "Have you never seen hetero romance movies? That can't leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth." Oh great. He's already started comparing life to movies and we just met. This should be fun.

"I don't do movies. They aren't my thing." At this comment I could see in my peripheral vision that Jesse had gasped and opened his mouth wide in surprise. "Not any movie? How can you not like movies?" He asked still intruding on my life. I didn't like when people did that. "I just, don't." I said, not wanting to reveal too much to a drunk Jesse. His mouth stayed open, but he seemed to drop the topic.

"Mind if I ask you a question." I asked, still not taking my eyes off the ginger. I could see him nod in agreement and I continued. "Who is the ginger haired girl across the lawn?" With my question, Jesse scanned through people on the opposite end of the yard before landing his eyes on one and nodding.

"That's Chloe Beale. This is her house actually." He said taking a sip from the drink in his hand.

Chloe. I liked that name. It seemed fitting for her in some weird way. With my eyes still trained on her, I watched as she jumped around along with the blonde from earlier to the sound of the music playing. The happiness that seemed to gush out of her was practically contagious and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more of it. I didn't know how I would do it, but somehow I would manage to make friends with Chloe Beale and spend more time with her. Somehow, I would do just that.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: To Georgia

I've tried the whole New York thing that so many people dream about. I've lived in New York my whole life matter of fact and I'm done with everything in it. The people are arrogant and self-centered beyond what I would see as a normal amount. The weather is about as unbearable as Monday mornings before the time of 1 pm, and nothing in New York interest me. I might live a life fully devoted to anything artsy that I can grasp onto, but New York is nowhere close to where I want to be. In fact, it's a whole country from where I want to be.

I looked over my checklist to make sure I was packing everything I needed. I hardly had enough to fill two suitcases, but I wanted to make sure that none of my few possessions were left behind. Georgia is a long way away from New York and I have no intention of coming back here in my life time so the need to gather my things was only further increased.

I decided to verbally read over my list one more time just to be sure.

Clothing. "Check".  
Boots. "Check".  
Laptop. "Check".  
Camera. "Shit."

I cursed loudly as I looked over my suitcases and carry-on bag seeing that both seemed to be missing the very important piece of technology that was essential to my happiness. I looked over my now barren room and was almost taken into a stream of nostalgia as I saw the blank walls void of posters and photos I had taken throughout the years. The built in shelves that used to hold records and various books were now empty and seemed to beg to be full again. That wasn't a wish I could grant though.

As I pulled myself together again I exited my room and picked up my pace as I went down the stairs; a loud banging emanating from each step as I hopped from one to the next.

When I made it to the bottom of the stairs, I went into the living room hoping to find the last thing on my checklist, but instead I found Sandra. She was sitting on the couch looking at what I could only assume were photo albums. I could hear a few memory filled sobs, but I decided to ignore her and continue my hunt for my camera. Sadly my efforts failed as Sandra turned around and saw that I was trying to creep over to where I had spotted my camera on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, Beca. I'm so glad you're here. I'm going to miss having you around here. This house may be small but it sure will feel empty without you in it." I tried to return the heartfelt smile that Sandra was giving me, but my mind only wanted my camera so I could leave. I knew I couldn't just leave without a word though, so I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Thanks Sandra. Sorry to make you…uh…lonely." Nice one Beca. That was super nice to say to the woman who has actually given a shit about you for the past three years. Sandra was one of my mom's closest friends. They had met when my mom was in London studying abroad. Sandra took me in just as foster care tried to sweep me into their merciless grip, and for that, I had a lot of gratitude towards her.

To my surprise, Sandra seemed to be fully accepting of my not-so-witty response and I was glad to see that she understood me enough to know I wasn't great at expressing my feelings. When she turned back to look at the photo album I quickly grabbed my camera and ran back up the stairs before I could get caught in awkward chit-chat again.

Once I had placed my camera into my carry-on, I finally felt confident that I had everything I needed to leave this awful place and with my plane ticket in hand, carry-on bag swung over my shoulder, and two suitcases ready to roll, I walked out of the place I had used as my safe haven for so long in search of something that would hopefully be so much better.

I wasn't any good at goodbyes, so I decided to make it quick and simple hoping that Sandra would understand. As I placed my things at the door, I walked back into the living room to see that Sandra had put the photo album away and was now sitting on a bar stool waiting for me to come over. I complied with her silent demand and walked from the carpeted living room onto the tile of the kitchen.

"So this is it, huh? You really aren't going to stick around?" I could see the pain in Sandra's eyes, but I could also see that she was happy to see me doing something that I had wanted for so long. Sandra was always good like that.

"Looks like it." I said trying to speed up the already too lengthy conversation. I wasn't much of a talker, so skipping interactions like this was something that I always did.

"Any way I'll be getting that hug I've always wanted?" I laughed a bit at her statement noticing her obvious attempt to cut through the stiff air. The irony of her statement made me laugh a bit harder, but I contained myself and said the thing that felt most natural between the two of us. "Not a chance."

Getting through airport security was faster than I had originally thought it would be and I was happy when I realized I still had another hour before my plane started boarding. I sat in one of the aisles of airport lobby chairs a few feet away from some guy in a business suit who was knocked out with his head drooping over slightly. I chuckled at him as I fished my phone from my bag and set an alarm for 40 minutes and then went into my various playlists of music.

I settled upon a track-list that I had made a few months ago right before I graduated from high school. It was a mixture of a bunch of "farewell-like" songs that seemed fitting for my current scenario. As I placed my headphones over my ears, I managed to lean my head back and slowly drift off to the sounds of two mashed-up songs from some 90's bands I always enjoyed.

Just as I felt myself fall into a deeper sense of sleep, a loud beeping went off in my ears where soft melodies had just been playing and I was jerked awake to see that the plane was starting to be boarded.

I packed away my things and then waited for my ticket group to be called before standing up and walking through the narrow space-like tube that led into the plane that was taking me away to the wonderful state of Georgia.

Yep. I just said that wonderful state of Georgia. I'm already losing my mind and I haven't even gotten to this place yet. This might end up a lot worse than I thought it would.

Once I was on the plane I managed to find my seat and get comfortable for the fairly short plane ride ahead. I hadn't ever been on a plane before and my nerves were a little jumbled, but once my headphones blocked out the sounds, I found that a plane was a lot like a flying car, and that it wasn't that big of a deal.

I didn't want to fall asleep on the flight if I could help it, so I found my playlist with some really upbeat mash-ups to keep my heartbeat pumping fast enough to keep me awake. I was lucky enough to get a window seat and an empty row which I was very thankful for. I'm not much of a "tight-places-with-other-people" person. The emptiness of my surroundings also allowed for me to place my bag beside me so I could stretch out a bit. Needless to say, I was in store for what most would consider a pretty nice flight.

I could feel as the plane jerked off into the air and as the skyline in the distance became smaller and smaller, the giddy smile on my face grew larger. Seeing the place that you'd lived in your whole life float away behind you; seeing the people that walked beside you on busy streets and stood with you in crowded subway stations turn into small ant-like beings, was almost relieving for me. The weight of that city lifted off of me and I felt free. I felt free of my past and the things that had held me captive for so long and as clouds covered my view, I placed weary fingers to my lips, and as a last effort to thank the city that, even if I would have chosen differently, raised me as I was. I placed a slightly sentimental token of goodbye on the window that sat beside me before shutting it tight and turning my full attention onto the laptop that I had begun taking out of my bag.

I saw the seatbelt light turn on and could hear a slight mumble of someone saying something about preparing for arrival over the intercom. I hadn't realized just how far we had gone. Time had a way of drifting past me quicker than I could catch it, and I wasn't good with looking at a clock constantly.

Not wanting to be caught unprepared, I placed my laptop back into my bag and put my headphones with it as I buckled my seat belt and waited for the familiar ear-popping I had felt when we ascended.

When plane wheels hit runway pavement I could hear as the couple beside me complained of a crappy pilot and how he shouldn't be flying a plane if he can't land it gracefully. Seeing as I had nothing to compare his flying to, I dismissed the bumpy landing as a fault of the runway and not the pilot himself.

I watched as people hurriedly gathered their things and rushed off the plane, but I stayed calmly in my seat waiting for the masses to stop their crowded ambush of whatever plane lobby they were dispersing into. Once the majority had left, I threw the strap of my bag over my shoulder and walked off the plane as if I had no clue that the flight-attendants and been glaring at me to leave for the past 10 minutes. I just smiled at them and said some quick declarations of thanks for their service before once again walking through the space tube and entering the lobby.

I took in a deep breath as if the air in the lobby was fresh and didn't smell like a multitude of fast food establishments and sweaty travels trying to catch their flights. I couldn't help but laugh at a couple with a small child who were in such a rush that they almost left the three-or-so year old at the entrance to the bathrooms as they unknowingly went in at the same time leaving the child unattended.

Somehow I had managed to navigate through the terminals and lobbies to find the luggage claim and I grabbed my two suitcases before going to where I was meant to meet Sandra's son Luke. He had moved down here a while back to escape the hustle of New York and retreat to the similar county-side life he had grown accustomed to with his father in England. Sandra and her husband had split up when Luke was a teenager and he chose to live primarily with his dad outside of the major cities before moving with his mom to America. Now he lived in some city that I couldn't even remember the name of and I would be staying with him.

As I walked outside of the airport doors on the level Luke told me to meet him at, I saw a massive amount of taxis and men in suits that were holding pieces of paper with different names on them. As I scanned the names that each man held, I saw one that was in all capitals "BECKY MITCHELL". I grimaced at the miswriting of my name as I looked over the guy holding the paper. He was a blonde, but the sides of his head were shaved a bit more closely as if to draw your eyes to the slightly longer cluster of hair that sat on top of his head. I could tell that he had a little shadowing of a beard as well. He also had the typical bulkiness of a guy who works out far too much and tattoos as if to prove how oppressively masculine he was. Alright, so maybe that observation is less of an observation and more of a judgment, but Sandra always complained that he was just like his dad and obviously that didn't work. What more was there for me to really go off of, right?

"You spelled my name wrong." I deadpanned as I walked over to the tight t-shirt clad man. It didn't even seem to faze him as he continued to smile before finally deciding to speak. "Sorry about that. My mum's connection was a bit crackly when she called me to give me your information and set this all up." The accent in his voice was even stronger than Sandra's and I couldn't help but feel a bit more comforted by the accent I had grown accustomed to from Sandra.

"It's not that big of a deal. Just understand that my name is Beca, and we won't have a problem." I wasn't in the mood to play nice with this guy seeing as the plane ride had already managed to tire me out and I didn't feel like making friends at this point.

"Wow. My mum wasn't kidding when she said you had no sense of humor." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but the fact that he had the balls to say that resonated as some type of courage in my eyes, so I decided to at least give the guy a chance before completely shutting him out.

"Yeah, well I prefer sarcasm over comedy, and can we please leave now." I said this time walking around him and glancing at the street that was still boarding and unloading passengers from taxis. "Oh, right. My car's in the parking lot a little ways away. Are you in the mood for a walk?" He said as he picked up my suitcases without any signs of struggle. "Not even slightly." I grumbled at him as he nodded and started walking the way I assumed his car was.

To say that I hadn't prepared myself for the Georgia sun was an understatement. My black jeans and boots only contributed to my overheating as my long sleeved flannel made it feel like a second skin was being burned onto my body. The glare of the sun that came off the endless sea of cars that we were passing didn't help either.

"How much…longer…until," I had to take a break from speaking as I caught my breath and continued trekking. "…we reach your car?" I finished off as I took in a few more deep breathes as my feet begged for relief.

"Actually, we're here." I could have sworn that my ears were lying to me when I heard those words, but as Luke stopped in front of a small pickup truck and opened the flat bed to place my bags on I allowed a smile to erupt onto my face as I ran over to the passenger side door. With my hand clasping the handle it opened with a creaky tug and I hopped onto the outdated leather upholstery not even concerned with the fact that it felt like it was the same temperature as a cooking pan.

Luke got in the truck shortly afterwards and manually rolled down his window with a spinning lever before suggesting I do the same. After that he started the car with a sputtering noise and allowed my ears to be blessed with the sounds of rock n' roll icons that he seemed to enjoy as much as I did. We both started singing along before giving each other a surprised look seeing that the other knew the lyrics and with that we drove.

We quickly left the airport grounds and I found myself passing fields on a two lane road before I knew it. Just looking at the area around me I felt the urge to whip out my camera and take pictures. Something in me always told me what would be a good picture or not, and I rarely didn't embrace such feelings, but seeing as I wasn't driving and I didn't really want to waste time standing up I kept quiet and took mental images as the fields passed and the sun continued to fall.

As I finally took a look at the clock, I saw that is was almost 6 pm. That meant that we had been driving for a good hour which surprised me because I typically got very bored during car rides. This one seemed to be different though. Taking in the area around me must have kept me busy.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" I heard a soft, accented voice say as I turned my head to face it. He was still looking forward at the road, but I could see a slight smile on his face. "Yeah, it has a real photographic quality to it." I said quickly before turning my head back towards the open window and taking another breath in with the air of the surrounding land filling me up to the brim. There was no more conversation between the two of us after that until we got to his place.

"So this is it; my humble abode." He said in a cheesy voice before hopping out of the truck and getting my bags from the back. I followed his actions grabbing my carry-on bag before watching as he rushed over to the front door of his one story home. It looked a bit run down, but it had character. Masonry stood tall as the main façade of his home and a red front door greeted you with its surprising bright color considering the dulling colors that surrounded it.

"You'll be staying in the attic, but I finished it off so you aren't looking at wall studs. Now you have unpainted plaster. You're welcome." He chuckled at his own joke as I chose to ignore him and follow as he walked into the house and through a small living room and connected dining room before turning off to face an eerie stairway that led to only a door.

I gave him a 'really' look before walking up in front him and opening the door at the top to find a heavily lighted area due to a window that must have sat at the back of the house facing a large forested area and small yard.

The room itself contained a queen-sized bed already made sitting underneath the window and two nightstands on either side that held both a lamp and digital alarm clock. A dresser was at the foot of the bed and it had paint chips peeling from it. On the adjacent side of the room sat a couch that looked to be resting on cinderblocks with two small bookshelves on either side. On the side of the room opposite the entrance was a long desk with a few drawers accompanied by a beaten up office chair along with another shelving unit.

As I went to place my bag on the desk, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but I ignored them as I started to unpack and set up my desk area. "It's pretty nice isn't it? I even spent a bit extra on putting some hardwood in." Luke's voice rang through my ears as I continued to focus on the individual placement of my things.

"It's fine." I said in response not wanting to continue the conversation much. To my displeasure, Luke decided to continue speaking. "Well, the bathroom is down the stairs and through the dining room and living room at the end of the hall. I shower in the mornings so I suggest that you shower at night to avoid any awkward encounters. The kitchen is hardly ever stocked so if you want food you should probably go buy that and if you need anything you should try to figure it out yourself first." His voice died off and I could tell that he was waiting for some type of acknowledgement that I understood, but as I refused to give him any I heard a sigh and more banging as he went down the stairs.

Once I had finished setting up my things on my desk I started unpacking all together and found that the room slowly felt more and more my own. With each piece of clothing I put away, and each poster I taped up, I felt more at home. Once everything was squared away, I took the time to lie on my bed and test it out. I could feel an indention of where someone must have slept in at one point, but ignored it as I stayed in the middle of the bed, sprawling every one of my limbs to its maximum length.

Before I knew it, I had shut my eyes after staring at the white colored ceiling and allowed my body to drift off with my mind as I took slow breaths in. I needed the relaxation after a day of traveling. I could have easily spent my time looking for some type of transportation to get seeing as I had nothing for the time being, or looking for a job, but for this first night, I had no plans and no intention of doing anything. So I slept.

I woke up to a banging on my door that must have been from Luke. I opened my eyes and glanced at my alarm clock seeing that it had the time of 9:23 pm plastered on its digital face. I rubbed my eyes with the back of one hand as I sat up and stretched, finally acknowledging that the banging had yet to cease.

"Beca! Beca can I come in?" Luke's voice rang through the walls of my room and I made a slight grunt of agreement signaling that Luke could enter. He apparently understood what I meant and entered immediately after.

"Jesus Beca, what were you doing? I've been knocking for over 5 minutes." He said in an annoyed tone but I just shrugged and motioned to the bed. He rolled his eyes in understanding before he continued speaking.

"We're going to a party so get dressed in something that doesn't make you look like someone who just came from a harsh winter in New York." It was just then that I noticed that Luke had changed out of the white t-shirt and shorts he had been wearing earlier and was now in jeans with a leather jacket covering a colorful top accessorized with a beanie. "I don't want to go to a party." I said angrily throwing my upper half back onto my bed and mumbling under my breath.

"You don't have a choice. My mum said that I was supposed to make sure you didn't sit in this room all day and that you actually met some people. So that's what I'm doing. Now it's your job to get your arse up and get dressed. Meet you downstairs in 10 minutes or I'm coming back up here a putting moldy butter on your face." I was confused with his threat, but nonetheless motivated by it. I'm not really a fan of having moldy butter smeared on my face.

I sat up again and glared at Luke as he turned around and walked down the stairs shutting the door behind him before I got up and started rummaging through my clothes to find something that a "party-goer" might wear. I decided upon a black tank top with that had a sequined top half around the chest along with some dark blue jeans and black, laced boots. With a spiked bracelet wrapped around my wrist and reapplied makeup, I walked down the stairs hoping that Luke wouldn't have the audacity to send me back up to change.

As I made it to the bottom of the stairs, I could hear a loud conversation going on somewhere in the house. As I walked past the dining room and living room, I found Luke and two other guys standing at the entrance to the hallway that had been previously mentioned. One of the guys had short brown hair and wore a blue flannel shirt with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows with khaki pants. The other guy had curly brown hair and a long-sleeved sweater that was white on the top half and black on the bottom along with blue jeans. They seemed nice enough, but I still wasn't looking forward to the inevitable introductions.

"Hey, who knew you could actually look like something other than a boring New Yorker?" Luke said with a laugh while the curly haired guy joined in and the short haired one just stared at me awkwardly. "This is Jesse and Benji by the way." Luke introduced first pointing to the short haired guy and then the curly haired one.

"It's nice to meet you Beca." Jesse was the first to speak up and he stuck out his hand in the way most do to ask for a handshake. I just stared at his hand as Luke pulled on Jesse by his shoulder and whispered something in his ear before Jesse retracted his hand quickly. It hadn't occurred to me that Sandra had informed Luke of the no-touching situation I had, but it made sense as he let go of Jesse and gave me a quick side smile and a nod.

After Benji had introduced himself skipping the handshake part, Luke spoke up again. "I almost forgot to give you the house key Beca. I just want to be safe in case you need to get in here tomorrow morning if you go home with some guy." Luke gave a quick wink in my direction pushing the key at me. I couldn't contain my laughter at his proposal seeing as it not only implied that I would be speaking to much of anyone at this party but also implied that I wanted anything to do with any guy.

"Yeah, well that might be a little hard considering that I prefer to not have anything to do with guys in that department." I said through chuckles. When I looked back at the three boys, Luke had a surprised smirk on his face, while Benji held a smile and Jesse looked like a dear in headlights. It only then hit me that Jesse might have had a quick thing for me given the staring and immediate handshake.

"Well with that news, I guess we better get to the party." He pushed the key into my direction once again and I took it placing it in my back pocket before Luke walked towards the front door leading everyone towards the pick-up truck and small car parked behind it on the driveway. Jesse and Benji walked to the car with Benji giving his friend a quick pat on the pack now understanding his friend's disappointment at my news and Luke and I got into the truck.

On the drive to wherever the party was being held, I found out that Luke had met Jesse at work when he became an intern. Later when the two guys started hanging out, Benji was brought into the mix and for the past few years they had been really close friends.

The small houses similar to Luke's own house disappeared and we drove into a neighborhood that had mansion after mansion in it. All the houses had large stone walls surrounding them and, from what I could tell, circular driveways begging to be filled by party guest.

"Luke, where exactly are we going?" I said nervously as I turned to his direction. "We're going to a party at Chloe Beale's place. Her parents are loaded so she lives in this neighborhood." He said as if answering a question I had yet to ask. I hadn't even realized that Georgia had houses like these. I guess I was misled.

The drive continued silently, but as we turned into the driveway of a home that could dwarf some of the others in the neighborhood, I started to feel like maybe I should've braved the moldy butter. This was definitely not the kind of place I was accustomed to; much less welcomed at.

When Luke parked the car behind a few others and got out followed by Jesse and Benji's approaching car, I couldn't get myself to exit the vehicle. I was watching Luke in the rearview mirror as he spoke with Jesse and Benji hoping that he wouldn't notice my absence, but to my dismay he looked around quickly before walking up to my door. Impulsively I locked the door without thinking about the fact that the window was completely down. Right before I was able to roll it up again, a firm hand was placed in the way stopping me from turning the crank due to the difference in shear strength.

"Beca, I said you're going to this party. Now, I haven't been in New York for a while, but I'm pretty sure that still means you have to get out of the car and go to the party." He said emphasizing the 'go' part. I looked at him wearily, but conceded and unlocked the door before getting out of the car with a grimace on my face. "There you go Becky!" Luke yelled before running off to catch up with Jesse and Benji who had already entered the party.

I glared at his back hoping he could feel my stare, but when he ran out of my view, I gave up and contemplated getting back in the car, but before I could a group of kids came running up behind me and not wanting to be wrapped up into their herd, I walked towards the front door of the party before stepping into the music filled threshold.

Now there is something I should probably explain about my little phobia. Seeing as I lived in New York, there was really no way to avoid people brushing up against you. Between subway stations and the very streets you were forced to walk on due to traffic always being at a standstill, I had to become accustomed to the idea that I wouldn't be able to avoid all forms of contact. The things I really am cautious of are anything involving hands, such as handshake and purposefully touching, and things involving full body contact, like hugs, dancing, and other…"special" activities.

It surprised me to see just how crowed the party was seeing that the driveway hadn't been too full, but assuming that kids rode together filled in the gaps. I could see red cups placed out onto a table and prayed that whatever was in them was substantially alcoholic to mask my eagerness to leave this party all together.

As I made my way to the table, I saw that a fair number of cups had already been taken and I figured that meant that in a few hours most people will have crashed into a alcohol induced sleep, or left before they got anymore drunk giving me a happy feeling that the party wouldn't go on for too long. The cup I had chosen to take was filled almost to the brim of a frothy brown liquid and in tasting the stuff, there was no doubt in my mind that it was cheap beer from some supermarket and I couldn't have been happier at the familiar taste.

With my cup in hand, I walked through the house careful to keep my other hand tucked closely to my side in order to avoid any unnecessary touching that could occur if I'm not careful. I walked past people with similar cups in their own hands who were dancing on each other. I could only hope that they continued to be occupied with their partners and not even notice me.

Finally I had made it past the mass of people into the backyard that allowed for a little more separation due to the open space. I could see that a lit up pool was filled with bubbly water and inflated dolphins along with a few drunken guys and girls splashing each other fully clothed, might I add, in the water.

Somewhere in my attempt for personal space I had made it to a patio that looked over the party due to the few steps it took to reach it that gave it a bit of height. It had a stoned fire pit on it and a built in bench that went around the rim of the stone wall that formed around the pit. I sat down on the bench and continued to sip at my drink as I observed the rest of the horribly intoxicated party people.

Just when I thought that I might make it through the entire party without any type of interaction, a spirited girl ran up the steps dropping her body uncomfortably close to me. She held a cup in her hand and it sloshed over slightly when she sat, but she quickly recovered and took a sip of the drink.

I had been too consumed with the girl's arrival tactics that I had yet to notice her appearance. Once I had though, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her hair was a bright ginger color and the curls that were placed in it danced elegantly on her shoulders whenever she moved. Her skin was pale but equally flawless, yet the thing that really caught me was her eyes. They held the crystal blue commonly found in diamonds and I was star struck looking at her. How can something so perfect be sitting right in front of me.

"So, I've never seen you before, and I've kinda seen everyone before." She said in the cutest drunken voice that I'd ever heard. She wasn't particularly asking me a question, but I decided to clear her confusion anyway. "Beca; my name is Beca." I wanted to slap myself after that because I practically screamed my name at her receiving a soft laugh from her before she continued speaking.

"Well Beca," she sounded out my name verbally, "welcome to the party." She concluded as she took a long swig from her drink. I wasn't at all sure how to respond, so I just stayed silent and stared at her. No, it wasn't staring, it was observing without blinking. That totally makes it better.

"Thanks." That's the only thing that comes to your mind? Is this really all you got Beca? Get it together in front of the cute girl. At this point I was already screaming at myself in my head. I just wanted my internal awkwardness to cease so I could talk to this girl like a normal human would.

The girl had started to open her mouth again, but the sight of someone walking up the steps silenced her. The blonde girl who was walking up the steps of the patio had an angry expression on her face as she walked towards the ginger giving me a glare after looking me once-over. I couldn't help but return the glare.

"Bestie Bree is here to take me away." The ginger leaned over towards me in an attempt to whisper, but it really came out as a hushed scream that rattled my eardrums painfully. The ginger leaned back and giggled about who knows what, but I found it adorable nonetheless. Before I could respond, the blonde's hand reached out for the gingers and the ginger happily complied as the blonde pulled her up to stand. By that action I could tell that the blonde was also drunk as she wobbled slightly when the ginger put a little too much weight on her.

"You're damned right I'm here to take you away. Tom and I have been looking everywhere for you." The blonde told this to the ginger, but she just laughed at her blonde friend saying something about playing a game of hide n' seek with them which made me laugh.

"Come on. For a host of a party, you're not too great at it." The blonde said to the ginger as she started to pull her away. I could hear the ginger yelling about meeting new people in her defense, but as she merged with the crowd I couldn't hear anything from her anymore. She popped up at the other side of the yard with the same blonde girl into a group of what I presumed to be her friends. My line of sight was interrupted by none other than Jesse even though I continued to try and look around him.

"Sup Becaw?" He started laughing at his own joke, but I couldn't find any humor in purposely messing up my name. I just wanted him to move so I could continue watching the ginger headed beauty that had previously caught my attention. "I can't believe that you're gay." That was the only thing I heard before Jesse sat down beside me. At his comment, I couldn't help but look at him with a 'really' look. Who says something like that? With a few seconds more of thought, I realized that alcohol must have something to do with his bluntness.

"Well believe it." I stated in the same blunt way he had and he seemed to accept the answer, but continued to press for information. "Why though? You could easily be bisexual and get anyone you want." I could only attribute this statement to the mixture of his 5 minute crush on me and alcohol, but I decided to give him the best response I could think of.

"The only experience I've had with hetero relationships would be a turn off for anyone. I have no interest in being intimate with any guy. Ever." I said in a serious tone before turning back to rest my eyes on the ginger. "Have you never seen hetero romance movies? That can't leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth." Oh great. He's already started comparing life to movies and we just met. This should be fun.

"I don't do movies. They aren't my thing." At this comment I could see in my peripheral vision that Jesse had gasped and opened his mouth wide in surprise. "Not any movie? How can you not like movies?" He asked still intruding on my life. I didn't like when people did that. "I just, don't." I said, not wanting to reveal too much to a drunk Jesse. His mouth stayed open, but he seemed to drop the topic.

"Mind if I ask you a question." I asked, still not taking my eyes off the ginger. I could see him nod in agreement and I continued. "Who is the ginger haired girl across the lawn?" With my question, Jesse scanned through people on the opposite end of the yard before landing his eyes on one and nodding.

"That's Chloe Beale. This is her house actually." He said taking a sip from the drink in his hand.

Chloe. I liked that name. It seemed fitting for her in some weird way. With my eyes still trained on her, I watched as she jumped around along with the blonde from earlier to the sound of the music playing. The happiness that seemed to gush out of her was practically contagious and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more of it. I didn't know how I would do it, but somehow I would manage to make friends with Chloe Beale and spend more time with her. Somehow, I would do just that.


End file.
